Jadwiga: Poland's Teenage King and Her Enduring Legacy

The Story of Poland: A Nation That Refused to Disappear — Fexingo History · Apr 24, 2026 · 5m

In 1384, an eleven-year-old girl was crowned King of Poland. Not queen — king. Her name was Jadwiga of Anjou, and she remains one of the most revered figures in Polish history. This episode explores her short but transformative reign: the political marriage to Jogaila that created the Polish-Lithuanian union, her role in the baptism of Lithuania, her patronage of the Academy of Kraków, and the legends of her piety and wisdom. We also confront the uncomfortable truth of her arranged marriage at age twelve and how she navigated power as a child ruler. From Wawel Castle to the Baltic…